12 Days Of Christmas
by pullingbeckettspigtails
Summary: 12 fluffy wintery oneshots about our favourite couple, based on a list called 'Best Things About Christmas'. Enjoy, and happy holidays!
1. Chapter 1

**1 - Snow**

* * *

Kate awakened in her luxurious comfortable bed, unconsciously snuggling up next to her husband as he continued to sleep, small snuffling sounds escaping his mouth periodically - which he swore was because he was getting a cold as Richard Castle 'does _not_ snore'. She began to raise her hand out from under the covers to caress his stubble covered cheek, but instantly retracted her arm back under as the cold from the outside hit her flesh. The low temperature only made her want to stay in bed all day, lazing around in her partner's arms, legs intertwined as they shared whispers.

However, this wasn't the plan for another member of the family.

Shouts from upstairs caused both Rick and Kate to bolt up suddenly with wide eyes. They stumbled out of bed, incredibly thankful that they had decided to redress themselves after last night's activities as they quickly hurried through the cold loft, their bare feet hitting against the hard floor as they ran up the stairs.

Kate made it through the door first, Rick hot on her heels, as they surveyed the scene before them.

"Mama! Dada!" Their fourteen month old daughter Verity exclaimed, her eyes never leaving the window that was to the left of her pink and white cot, blankets wrapping around her socked feet as she jumped up and down on the mattress, little fingers gripping tightly onto the rail.

"Hello, baby girl." Kate sighed with relief, glad that the commotion wasn't bad news, as she walked over to the cot, gently placing her hands under her daughter's arms and lifting her up onto her chest, the baby instantly wrapping her limbs securely around her Mother, "What's gotten you so excited, then?"

Verity wriggled in Kate's arms in order to focus her gaze once again on the window, her chubby finger pointing forwards.

The two parents glanced over at the glass, their mouths opening slightly at the weather outside.

Small white flecks fell steadily from the clouds, all of the usually dark coloured ground completely covered in perfect snow, without a single footprint or tyre track laid in it yet. The tree branches drooped slightly, icicles dangling down precariously. There was no life to be seen; no animals, nor people, as if the whole of New York had stood still to appreciate the blissful scene that awaited them that winter morning.

"That's snow, Vivi." Rick explained, moving closer to his girls, "It's what happens when it rains whilst it's cold."

The girl's widened hazel eyes never strayed, much to the amusement of the two adults.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" The father asked in a calm voice, a small smile transfixed onto his face as the baby nodded slowly in awe.

"White." The girl whispered, making Kate chuckle.

"Yeah, it's white. Good girl." She praised, smoothing out her daughter's reckless brown curls, the braid she had made before she put Verity to bed now non-existent.

Their baby raised her hands, making grabbing motions towards the window.

"You want to play with it?" Castle asked, trying to interpret the thoughts of the one year old.

"Play?" She responded with curiosity.

"Play. You can play in the snow." He reiterated, Kate nodding next to him.

Verity's mouth opened with a gasp, as if she suddenly understood her Dad's idea.

"Play! Play!" She cheered, her arms flapping around as her legs kicked in excitement.

"Thanks for that." Kate attempted to deadpan seriously, but merriment was laced in her voice.

"What?" Rick replied innocently.

"It's not even six am, and you've just got her excited about going outside."

Castle opened his mouth to apologise, but no words came, so halted on a sweet smile, making his wife roll her eyes at him.

"Come on then, Vivi, let's get some food, then we can play." Kate said happily as she used her unoccupied hand to pick up her girl's favourite toy, Bun-Bun the Rabbit, as the family made their way down to the kitchen together.

* * *

"Told you this was a good investment." Rick pronounced proudly as he dressed Verity, trying to keeping her upright in her yellow bumblebee high chair as she wriggled around, making small noises of discontent at the fabric being wrapped around her.

"What was a good-" Kate began to ask as she walked into the room with a bag of her baby's necessities for the day out, but she stopped in her tracks as she caught sight of her husband and daughter.

She was covered by a fuzzy brown reindeer onesie, complete with matching boots and mittens, topped off with a hood that had two stitched-on antlers on either side, one of which Verity was trying to grab and chew on. Around her neck was a light blue scarf, scattered with white crochet snowflakes and silver glitter, most of the tassels at the hem already gone after the extraneous use of the item over the past few cold months.

A large grin made its way onto Kate's face as she approached her daughter, who was still tugging at the fabric antler, trying to get it into her view.

"Well, you look nice and cosy, baby." She cooed, pulling up Verity's socks and boots as they were already slipping off due to all the movement her baby had done in protest of being dressed.

"As do you, Mommy." Rick added, looking over at his wife, dressed in a thick black trench coat that fell down to her upper thighs, the hem rubbing against her matching black trousers that covered her light brown boots, the outfit completed with the red knitted scarf Alexis had gifted her with last Christmas wrapped tightly around her neck, her hair hoisted up into a high ponytail, which was a wise decision as Verity was already trying to grasp at her mother's brown locks as she placed the baby into her large stroller, shoving the bag on the tray underneath.

"Can't quite say the same for you, Daddy." Kate quipped, glancing judgingly at Rick's attire as he pulled a light grey beanie hat onto his head; navy blue jeans paired with a maroon coloured jumper.

He shrugged with a smirk, "The cold never bothered me anyway."

Kate hummed with a sceptic look, "Okay, well, remember that when you're freezing outside." She stated with a slight attitude in her words.

"I'll be fine," He assured her, "Besides…" He walked over to his wife to whisper to her, the warm, coffee scented breath tickling her ear lobe, "I'm sure you can warm me up later."

The fourteen month old glanced upwards at her parents, her lower lip poking out into a pout, "Dada, shhh! Play time!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms in a way that made her resemble her mother.

The adults laughed loudly at their daughter's behaviour, relishing in the fact that she was such a mix of the two of them.

"You heard the girl, it's play time." Kate commented, emitting a squeal from both father and daughter.

* * *

The family just walked out of the door before they heard the small gasp of the youngest ring through the air, making the doorman behind them chuckle.

"Her first snow day, huh?" The worker with greying hair commented with a smile as his eyes wandered over the little girl's frame. The two adults confirmed his statement with absent nods, their attention fully focused on their daughter.

Together, they walked at a steady pace, the inches of snow making it slightly harder for Kate to push the stroller along, failing to keep up with her husband as he ran circles around her, his child-like tendencies emerging.

They soon arrived at a small local playground that usually had a green, grassy field surrounding the area, but it was instead covered in untouched snow. Kate almost felt guilty for ruining the perfect scene, but she knew the other two members of the family that were present wouldn't mind.

Rick crouched down in front of the stroller, making Verity's face light up as her bright green eyes connected with his blue ones. She reached her hands out to attempt to grab her Dad's cheeks, making him chuckle heartily.

"Ready, sweetheart?" He asked in a gentle voice, clasping his arms around the girl as he lifted her with caution from her seat after unbuckling the belts that were situated around her middle, "Your first time with snow."

He stayed close to the ground as he placed his daughter onto the snow, Kate only inches behind him as she watched intently for the child's reaction.

Verity's light pink lips pursed in confusion for a few short seconds, before she burst into tears, the sound of the sobs seeming infinitely louder in the silent environment. Castle's face dropped as the girl began to throw around her clenched fists, Kate obviously noting that this wasn't the reaction he had expected. He quickly swooped the baby back into his arms, cradling her close to his chest to offer her comfort, which successfully managed to calm her down, though small tears still occasionally ran down her pink cheeks.

"What's wrong, Vivi?" Rick asked, his hand stroking up and down the girl's right arm as her hand grasped tightly onto the collar of his sweater.

Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, a tell-tale sign that she was trying to speak, so both the parents leaned in closer to her.

"Come on, baby girl, you can say it." Kate urged.

"Co... Cold." The girl stammered finally, causing the parents to laugh, despite the cranky face their daughter was displaying in protest.

"Yeah, I'm afraid snow is cold, munchkin." Rick responded. As he continued to explain the weather to Verity, Kate scurried over to the buggie, pulling out an Ariel themed blanket that was once Alexis'.

"Okay, Verity, let's see if this makes it better." Beckett laid the blanket down onto the ground where Castle had placed the baby down on earlier, smoothing it out even though she knew it was going to get messed up in a matter of minutes anyway.

Rick leaned down again and sat the girl on top of the comfortable blanket, recognising that the fact that she didn't cry on impact meant that Kate's plan was working so far.

The girl used her mitten covered hands to grasp a small amount of snow, her face showing her amazement at the texture and how it fell apart so easily. Verity repeated this motion multiple times, until a loud laugh bubbled up, her little arms waving around in delight.

"That's better." Rick concluded, taking his phone out of his pocket with his gloved hands as he opened up the camera app (thanks to the touchscreen friendly gloves Ryan had given him a few Christmases ago), smiling at the picture of his happy baby girl that looked back at him on the screen.

With an 'oomph', Kate sat down on the blanket to join her daughter, who again was placing her hands in the snow, clapping her two palms together and watching it fall back down to the ground. Rick followed her and sat on the other side of Verity, still capturing sneaky photos when his girls weren't looking as they played together.

Suddenly, he felt a hit on his chest.

He glanced down at the middle of his sweater that now had an almost perfectly imprinted circle of snow on it, curtesy of a snowball thrown by his wife, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Stop looking at your phone and play with us." She scolded, but the smile plastered on her face contradicted the tone of her voice.

With expert speed, Rick conjured up his own snowball, hitting his wife square on her back, causing her to gasp loudly.

"You know better than to start a snowball fight with me, Mrs. Castle." He quipped with a smirk.

"You're on, Mr Beckett."

The two stood up in front of their baby, who was giggling at the antics of her parents, mesmerizingly watching the white balls of snow flying through the air.

Rick crouched down to pick up Verity, placing a hand underneath her bottom, putting her in a seated position as her back collided with his chest, squeals coming out of the girl's little mouth as he ran around the field with a firm grip on her.

"That's not fair! You can't use our daughter as a shield!" Kate argued, ducking to dodge the snowball that her husband had managed to shoot at her that was dangerously close to her face, even though he was throwing with his left hand.

Her remark didn't need an answer from him as the snowball that hit him directly on his nose was sufficient enough.

* * *

After multiple hours of playing together, the three trudged home, Kate pushing along an empty stroller as Verity walked hand in hand with her father, happily stomping on the piles of snow under her feet as they made their journey.

The same doorman from earlier was still outside their building, and he laughed inwardly as he took in the appearances of the family.

All of them had wet, straggly hair, covered in small flakes of snow, their cheeks were all a matching shade of bright pink due to the cold (though the man's looked slightly redder, probably since he decided to forgo a coat), the tired parents breathing out large puffs of air that became visible due to the low temperature as the girl still managed to bounce along between them.

"I take it she had a good first snow day?" He quipped as he held open the door for the family.

The matching grins on all three faces aptly answered his question.

* * *

**And to thank you for reading, I give you an awful Christmas cracker joke;**

**Q: What's the difference between snowmen and snowladies?**

**A: Snowballs.**

**(Yes, my seven year old cousin did get this joke in her cracker last Christmas. Yes, we had to explain it to her.)**

**Please follow/favourite/review if you have the time! It means a lot :)**

**Lou xo**


	2. Chapter 2

**2 - Christmas Snacks**

**A/N – In my mind this is set during Season 3, but any pre-Caskett setting will work. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"I can't believe I got stuck with this." Castle huffed as he crouched down to open a cupboard in his kitchen, his eyes looking around for flour.

"One: Stop whining. Everyone at the precinct has to make or bring something to the Christmas party, so it's only fair that you have to as well. Two: Baking cupcakes isn't that hard." Beckett quipped as she read the recipe that was on the laptop screen in front of her.

"Easy for you to say, you got asked to bring in wine! You just have to buy that!" He argued as he tried to remember where Alexis would've put the sugar, since she was the only one who used it in her coffee.

"Which is why I'm here helping you out."

"I believe you said you were here, and I quote, 'to make sure the cupcakes were edible'."

"That too." Kate smirked as Rick pouted at her insinuation, "You got all the ingredients?"

He whirled around to stand next to the cop, placing the half-full bags of flour and sugar on the counter to join the rest of the ingredients placed there, "Think so."

"Okay, let's bake."

He groaned exaggeratedly, as if to not let onto the fact that he was secretly glad that this stupid Christmas party list was aiding him to spend more time with his favourite Detective.

* * *

"Whoa! That was _way_ too much vanilla extract." Kate exclaimed, eyes widening at Rick as he looked at her innocently.

"It was a tiny amount!"

"You used half the bottle!"

"It's a tiny bottle!"

Kate huffed, continuing to stir the mixture, as it was delegated to be her job after the earlier incident where Rick stirred the spoon to vigorously and flour ended up all over the two of them, much to the dismay of his partner who was wearing all black.

"Oooh! Can we put peanut butter in them?" Castle asked excitedly, already scurrying over to grab the jar.

"No." Kate replied curtly, not even looking up from the large bowl.

"Why not?" He whined, making Kate roll her eyes at his child-like behaviour.

"Because we were warned by Montgomery that five detectives in the precinct have nut allergies." She stated.

"So? They can just not eat the cupcakes." Rick shrugged nonchalantly, leaning over Kate to dip a finger in the cupcake mixture.

She gasped in offence, bumping the writer away with her hip, causing him to stumble sideways.

"What?" He mumbled, his finger in his mouth as he sampled the recipe.

"You can't do that! You'll put all of your germs in it!" She grimaced.

"What germs? You made me wash my hands before we started!" Rick reasoned, biting back a comment that she was acting like a mother, knowing that wouldn't put him in her good books.

Kate just sighed to herself in response, making her partner feel a small rush of pride. He liked pulling her pigtails, especially when it left her speechless, with a small smile emerging across her features.

* * *

The two were now attempting to place the finished mixture into cupcake wrappers, Kate being precise and neat with her spoon, making sure none of the concoction fell out. Rick, however, wasn't quite as co-ordinated, the drips and chocolate chips smothered all over the counter serving as evidence of that.

Kate looked over at him with a grin as he finally co-operated for one of the first times that afternoon, but the smile suddenly dropped off her face.

She lifted her wooden utensil and smacked his finger that was in the bowl with it, causing mixture to splatter over Castle's sweater.

"Stop eating it!" She scolded in a harsh tone, pursing her lips.

"You hit me!" He said to defend himself, running his fingertips over the drops of mixture that had landed on him, only making them smear over more area.

"Because you keep eating it!"

Rick dipped his own spoon into the bowl and effortlessly flicked it upwards, causing the ingredients to land in globs in Kate's tied back hair.

"What was that?" She squealed, moving her hands upwards.

"Retaliation." He clarified in an obvious tone, trying – and failing – to hide the smirk blossoming on his face.

Kate shook her head, "Fine. You're on."

Before Rick could respond, he felt a large scoop of the sticky substance hitting his right cheek as his companion collapsed into a fit of laughter, running to the other side of the kitchen with the bowl of ingredients, skidding on her socks.

"Get back here!" He shouted.

"Not a chance, Castle!"

"Fine, but you asked for it." He grabbed the bag that carried the remainder of the flour and chased after her, pouring most of the contents over her head once he had gotten close enough to her, the action resulting in a small cloud of white emerging around them. Once it had cleared from his eyes, he was greeted with the sight of a very angry looking detective, covered in white. And he was sure his loud laughter did nothing to help with her anger.

Without hesitation, Beckett scooped her whole left hand into the bowl and smacked her palm to the top of his head, globs of the mixture slowly dripping down Castle's face and neck, making him shiver and grimace.

As Beckett threw her head back in laughter at his expression, which much resembled a cat that had gotten locked outside in the rain, Rick rushed over to the counter and grabbed one of the icing piping bags that they had been planning to use and squeezed it, making blue icing squirt everywhere, staining the surrounding furniture and his partner's clothing.

In retaliation, she grabbed the other bag that contained the black icing and aimed straight for his chest, exclaiming in victory as she marked the spot perfectly.

The two chased each other around the counter with their bags of icing, the sounds of their laughter and shouting echoing through the loft.

Once Beckett had made it to the middle of the kitchen she swivelled around to try and get a good angle to hit Castle with, but the combination of her socked feet and the paste of multiple ingredients that covered the floor made her slip over comically, her legs coming out from underneath her as she fell onto her back with a loud thud.

Rick made an attempt to stop before he ran over Kate, but the quick halt made him skid in the exact same way she did, making him fall forward and onto her, both of them wincing out in pain.

A second later, they burst into fits of laughter once more as they caught sight of each other's faces; both of them covered in blue and black icing from head to toe, with splashes of mixture and flour appearing in small clumps.

After a few moments, the two gasping for air after their running and laughing, they looked into each other's eyes with matching grins plastered onto their features.

Rick was the first to speak, "Do you think if we just bought cupcakes, anyone would know?" He asked honestly as he motioned around the room, though his crystal blue eyes never strayed from her light hazel ones.

"Giving up so soon? I'm sure there are enough ingredients for us to start again." Kate reasoned with a shrug.

"I have an idea for something better we can do with our time." Rick stated, making Kate's eyebrows hitch up in curiosity and intrigue.

"And what idea would that be?"

Castle moved the hand that wasn't trapped under Beckett's body up to her cheek, slowing caressing his thumb against her jawline, smiling to himself as the blue colouring only seemed to multiply. He focused his gaze back up to her eyes, glad to see that they were shining with anticipation and what he hoped was excitement. He leaned forward slowly as if to ask for silent permission, but once she licked her lower lip while looking at his mouth, he was a goner.

Their mouths met, the both of them chuckling against each other's lips as they tasted the mixed sweetness of the coffee they had consumed earlier and the icing that had ended up all over them. Rick moved his hand into her hair as Kate's grasp shifted to his shoulders, pulling him closer towards her, unwilling to let go.

It was at this moment that Rick remembered that he was on top (and possibly crushing the poor woman) so he quickly rolled them over, their lips separating as Kate gasped at the sudden motion, but they soon fused together once more, unable to spend seconds apart now that they knew the sensation that kissing each other brought.

After a few more moments of teasing, nibbling and gasping, the two finally parted, as Beckett's breathless voice piped up, "There's a bakery on the 14th Avenue, just a few blocks away from the precinct."

Castle laughed, "So that means that we can waste as much time as we want?"

Her mouth colliding with his once again was the only answer he needed.

* * *

**A Christmas joke to thank you for reading:**

**Q: What do you call an elf who sings? **

**A: A wrapper.**

***ba dum tsss***

**Thanks so much for all the follows and reviews on the last chapter, it honestly makes me so happy to get that little email notification. (Yes, I know that sounds pathetic, shh.)**

**Lou xo**


	3. Chapter 3

**3 – Christmas Music**

**Dedicated to Bookish0278 who requested "more fluffy future fics about their family".**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Kate grinned to herself as she heard the loud laughter of her family echoing from the living room, the high pitched voices ringing from the TV speakers making her conclude that their traditional Christmas movie marathon was still going strong with The Muppet Christmas Carol, a favourite of their six year old daughter over previous years.

She continued to make the Christmas dinner for her family, sneakily adding enough parmesan on the parsnips that her picky kids wouldn't notice the fact it was a vegetable (her husband included). The festive music from the radio added a small bounce to her movements, making her hum along to her favourite songs as she scurried around the tiled floor, periodically wiping her hands on the navy blue apron that donned her front, which was raised slightly due to her still growing baby bump.

Suddenly, she felt the presence of her husband behind her, ghosting light kisses on the nape of her neck, an area she knew Rick loved to make contact with whenever she wore her hair up. She hummed in gratitude then opened her mouth to speak, but before she could voice the words, he answered her unspoken question.

"I'm here because this song is _incredible_ serenading material." He quipped, reaching behind her to grab a wooden spoon that he used as a microphone, singing 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' at the top of his lungs, gesticulating wildly with his free hand as he circled around her.

Kate laughed loudly at her partner as he got down onto his knees in front of her, as if he was singing to her four month pregnancy bump too.

She gently stroked along his jawline, his crystal blue eyes gleaming up at her. The scene filled her with a now frequent feeling of familial love and happiness, the skin around her eyes crinkling slightly as she smiled down earnestly at Rick, who was still mimicking Mariah Carey.

"Daddy!" A small voice huffed from the side, "You're being silly."

The two adults whipped their heads round to see their six year old daughter with her arms crossed, emanating the posture of her mother a little too well.

"Well then, my little Hazel-bug," Rick began as he shuffled over on his knees to her, their heads level with each-others, "You're just going to have to be silly with me!"

In a flash, Castle hooked his hands under the girl's arms and gallantly threw her up in the air as he stood up, (a move that always made Beckett hold her breath with slight hesitation), proceeding to catch her effortlessly and bringing her close to his chest.

Hazel's shrieks and giggles brought a smile to both parents' faces, Rick swaying in time with the music, which had now switched to 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday', as he held his youngest daughter in a similar hold to a waltz, swinging her around, being careful not to knock over any of the pots or pans that held the food his wife had been slaving over all afternoon. The red, glittery dress that Martha had gifted to her newest grand-daughter whirled around her tiny frame, the small bells from the hair scrunchies holding her light brunette hair neatly into braids tinkling quietly.

Kate feigned a look of hurt, "Looks like someone's stolen my dance partner." She huffed, tickling underneath the girl's neck as a form of punishment, Rick attempting to shield his daughter from the torture with his other hand.

Suddenly, a small voice came from behind the counter.

"Mama!" The two year old boy exclaimed, waddling over in his white snowman onesie that had already garnered various chocolate stains on it, his arms lifting up towards her as he wiggled his fingers.

Beckett smiled as she leaned over to speak to her son in a gentle tone, "Come on then, Harry," She greeted, "We can dance better than them." She fake whispered, Castle emitting a scoff from behind her.

She carefully guided Harrison's small socked feet atop of her bare ones, his hands grasping hers tightly as he swayed along with her at a steady pace.

"We're going faster than you, Mommy!" Hazel cheered proudly as her Dad spun her around, causing Kate to laugh as Rick lifted the six year old up in his arms for a few moments before settling her back into his chest.

"Yeah, keep up, Mommy." Castle added, amusement laced in his voice.

She looked down at her son who was jumping happily at her feet, a toothless grin spreading across his features as his blue eyes sparkled with excitement. Though he was still sometimes unstable on his legs, (having only learnt to walk a few weeks back, which already proved to be difficult as he'd attempted to grasp the twinkling lights that draped over the tree multiple times), Harrison managed to pull Kate around slightly, his small hips wiggling to Slade's "Merry Christmas Everybody".

The four continued to dance together for multiple songs until the advertisements began, which disinterested the children as they made their way back to the couch to finish their film; Hazel running as Harry hobbled behind her.

Rick moved over to his partner, holding her closely in a hug as they slowly swayed in the kitchen together, Kate's face tucked into his neck, him being able to feel the smile against his skin as he rubbed circles onto her back.

He began to huskily whisper the words to 'Winter Wonderland' as the song played on the radio, his breath tickling the shell of her ear. They slow danced calmly for a few minutes, enjoying the small moments of peace on this incredibly hectic day, before an energetic kick from Kate's middle made them pull apart, chuckling.

"I don't think he likes your singing, Castle." She goaded, situating one hand on her bump to caress the little baby, Rick's larger fingers placed atop of her delicate ones.

"Maybe she's fist pumping in there, cheering me on." He quickly retorted with a shrug.

"Why are you so certain he's a she?" She questioned teasingly, a familiar topic between the two of them as they had both disagreed on the genders of their previous children; Rick guessing a girl before Hazel was born, Kate predicting a boy as she was pregnant with Harrison.

"What are you so certain _she's_ a _he_?" He rebutted, causing a strenuous eye roll from his companion.

"Well, we'll see in three weeks, won't we?" She concluded, her head tilting in the direction of the calendar that was held up by colourful alphabet magnets on the fridge door, a large red circle around the date of 19th January, the word 'appointment' scribbled in blue handwriting underneath.

* * *

They find out that they're both right.

A boy _and_ a girl.

They're definitely going to need more chairs at the Christmas table next year.

* * *

**Once again, thank you for reading!**

**A joke for your onward travels;**

**Q:****What do snowmen wear on their heads?**

**A: Ice caps!**

***jazz hands***

**Lou xo**


	4. Chapter 4

**4 – Stockings**

**Summary: Based on 5x09 – It's Kate's first Christmas at the Castle residence, and Martha welcomes her into the family with a gift**

**A/N: Slight change from the original 5x09 ending – Kate comes over to the Castles' house on Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day.**

* * *

Before she even opens her eyes, she feels him watching her.

"What?" Kate grumbles, reaching from under the covers to move the stray tendrils of hair from her face, only to find that his larger hand is already doing the honours for her.

"Merry Christmas." Rick whispers gently into the shell of her ear, before kissing just below her earlobe.

"How early?" She questions as she cracks open her left eye, taking in the scene of her dishevelled boyfriend next to her, his hair adorably sticking up in all directions.

"9am." He answers curtly, his gaze not leaving hers as she stirs awake.

"Hmm. Thought you'd be the kind to wake up at 6 and drag me out of bed." She quips, a sleepy smile forming on her face.

"Didn't want to scare you away on our first Christmas together." He replies with honesty, aiming to seem nonchalant, but Kate can sense the small amount of apprehension that lace around his words, so she shuffles forward to his pillow in order to capture his lips with a chaste kiss, humming slightly as she does so.

They break apart with twin grins, Kate shaking her head minutely at their giddiness.

"Come on, I'm sure Alexis and your Mother will already be up." She reasons, Castle's heart warming up at the thought of spending one of his favourite holidays with all of his favourite girls.

* * *

Once they're comfortably dressed, Rick in his navy blue pyjamas that his daughter gifted to him on his last birthday, and Kate swamped in one of his t-shirts and sweatpants, they make their way to the living room, the wafting smell of toast and bacon inviting into their nostrils.

"Morning!" Alexis welcomes cheerily, as Martha gives a small wave, her eyes not wandering from the newspaper placed on the counter in front of her.

"Merry Christmas, pumpkin." Castle says warmly as he embraced Alexis in a one armed hug, placing a light kiss atop of her ginger locks, "Now that we're all up, how about we grab some of this wonderful looking breakfast and start to open our presents, huh?"

Martha's excited clap of hands and Alexis' small squeal makes both Kate and Rick chuckle, as the four make their way over to the large tree, pawing at the colourfully wrapped presents that wait underneath.

* * *

Kate sits with her feet curled up under her thighs on the couch, watching the wonder on each of the Castles' faces as they open their gifts. Rick has looked over repeatedly as if to apologise for the fact that she can't participate in the festivities without any presents, but she dismisses his concern with an eye roll and a flick of the hand. Just seeing their gleeful faces is enough to make this Christmas one of the best she's had in over thirteen years.

She's suddenly hit with nostalgia of the small Christmases the Becketts used to partake in. The tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve, which was always a pair of pyjamas for them to wear the next day. Her Mom bopping around the kitchen to the same Christmas CD every year, while her Dad stole pieces of the food when she wasn't looking, putting his finger to his lips as if it was his and his daughter's little secret, though she always suspected her mother noticed when multiple bacon wrapped cocktail sausages had gone missing from the plate before it was served. The way her father would sit her on top of his shoulders, even until aged nineteen, so she could place the angel on the top peak of the tree. Her Dad falling into a slumber immediately after Christmas dinner, causing her and her Mom to try to see how many candy canes they could hook onto his ears before he woke up.

Martha's voice snaps her out of her mind, "Dear?"

Kate shakes her head, trying to rid her eyes of the unshed tears, but Martha simply places her hand on her knee, as if she knows exactly what's whirring through Kate's brain.

The older woman quickly stands, offering a hand to Kate, "Come on, I need to go grab the stockings from upstairs."

Kate's eyebrow raises, silently inquiring why Martha needs company for the trip, but the only answer she receives is a sly wink. Nonetheless, the brunette takes Martha's hand as they both make their way up the stairs.

Kate smiles with sincerity at the three stockings hooked upon the white wall. All knitted beautifully, all the same size, all monogrammed with names.

One with the word 'Richard' written in blue at the top, matching the rest of the stocking that had a bell crocheted on the front with a gold colour, a red ribbon stitched onto the apex.

One next to it which had 'Martha' written in green, a red background surrounding a dark green tree, which had small lights and baubles decorated onto the design.

The last one personalised with 'Alexis' was almost completely red, aside from the brown teddy bear that was plastered on the front, a small pink bow tied around its neck.

She notes that the three stockings all have a few blocks in the bottom of the sock and assumes that they could be chocolates or candy canes, if the experience of what she received in her own stocking was anything to go by, though hers was always placed at the foot of her bed.

It's in this moment that she realises Martha has retreated to her room. Kate stands aimlessly, wondering if she should have followed her into the bedroom, but she soon scurries out, her hands behind her back.

A hesitant smile appears on her face, but if Kate didn't know any better, she would think that the Broadway actress was nervous.

"Just a little something to spread the holiday cheer." She states, and her hands come out from hiding behind her.

A stocking is in her hands, which is white and has a design of an angel on the front. Kate's mouth opens, but her words don't have the opportunity to be voiced aloud.

"I hope this doesn't send you running for the hills, but I thought it was about time you were welcomed into the family." Martha explains bashfully, as she passes the gift to Kate, who strokes the soft fabric with her thumb.

Kate reads the top of the stocking, black block letters that spell out 'Katherine'. Martha seems to immediately pick up on this, and waves her hands around.

"I hope you don't mind the formality, it's just that 'Kate' didn't take up much space, so I thought 'Katherine' would look better."

Before Kate can get a word in, Martha is speaking again in a flurry, "The place I bought the old stockings all those moons ago was shut, and I searched all over town for somewhere that monogrammed stockings that looked similar to ours. Finally, I found a small, quaint shop on 14th Avenue, with a lovely woman called Faye, who made the gift for you."

She pauses to take a breath, and Kate breaks out into a grin, her eyes now rimmed with tears for a completely different reason than they were before.

"Martha… Thank you, so much." Kate says simply, unsure how to display her gratitude, though the other woman seems to understand completely.

Beckett cautiously moves forward with her hands extended, feeling a sudden rush of familiar comfort as the mother wraps her arms around her frame. The two stand there for a while, no words needing to be exchanged.

When they finally break apart, a question brings itself forward.

"Wait, how did you know I would come over?" Kate asks, knowing that Rick had told his family that she would be working the Christmas shift.

Martha shrugs with a smirk, "Call it mother's intuition." Kate chuckles as Martha loops her arm around hers and the two make their way downstairs.

Kate's already starting to warm up to the idea of Castle family Christmases.

* * *

**There ya go! A little sprinkle of Kate/Martha bonding for your holidays!**

**Sorry about the fact that I didn't post anything yesterday. I came home from Uni, so I've been catching up with my family and last minute gift shopping! :)**

**As always;**

**Q: Who delivers presents to cats and dogs?**

**A: Santa Paws!**

**Thanks again for the follows and reviews!**

**Lou xo**


	5. Chapter 5

**5 – Christmas Parties**

**A post ep for 7x10 including a special little guest.**

**"Suddenly, the two of them snap out of their reverie of swaying together to the music, due to a light tapping on both of their shins, making them hurriedly pull apart and look down at the little girl."**

* * *

Rick overlooks the towering Christmas tree and takes in the sight of his wife dancing happily hand in hand with Lanie, and can't help the smile that sneaks upon his cheeks. He finds the wonderful words that she had spoken to him only moments ago ringing through his ears.

_As partners go, we're here to stay._

Even if he's gone from the precinct, he knows there's no way he's gone from her. Not ever.

So he shifts the small smile to a large grin, and shuffles behind Kate, lovingly draping his arms around her waist, chuckling into her short waves of hair as she exclaims her surprise with an '_oh!_'.

She turns around, his fingers never unclasping from his tight grip around her as she wriggles enough so the front of her body can meet his, throwing her arms around his neck, gently stroking the short hairs at the nape of his neck. She suddenly stops bouncing around and her eyebrows scrunch up as if she's surveying him with close detail, barely noticing that Lanie, Esposito and the other officers that were once surrounding them have shuffled away to give them their privacy.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She finally asks wearily, her head tilted slightly as she searches his eyes.

His gaze momentarily breaks from hers to look at her Captain who is behind her, giving him a solemn, almost guilty look. And he decides that the sadness and sorrow can wait.

"Like I said, I am as long as you're here." He replies with a sweet tone, his thumbs stroking the sides of her navy blue blazer.

"Is the Christmas spirit turning you into a sap, Castle?" She teases, trying to ease a more genuine smile from him. She succeeds.

"You're the one who's allowing shows of affection in the precinct." He quips, pulling her closer in order to caress his lips over her right cheek.

"I can stop allowing them, if you'd like." She retorts, an eyebrow arching teasingly.

He quickly backpedals, a flurry of 'no' and 'what' and 'Kate' leaving his mouth, causing her to chuckle.

"Fine, then dance with me, husband." She grins, the word still feeling foreign on her tongue, but yet so right.

They start to sway to the music, which has now changed into 'Last Christmas', some workers passionately lip synching along, Ryan and Lanie included, as Esposito hurries to grab a cup of eggnog, sincerely hoping it's spiked.

Beckett leans forward to rest her head on her lover's shoulder, turning her face into the crook of his neck. They savour the moment, even though they're still surrounded by people, some of which they assume must be throwing knowing glances their way. Even without any words exchanged, they both know that their minds are casting back to the same memory; the perfect sunset at the Hamptons, their family members chatting together happily as they executed their first dance as a married couple, even after the song had ended, the sounds of the waves against the shore and their periodic breaths being music enough.

Suddenly, the two of them snap out of their reverie due to a light tapping on both of their shins, making them hurriedly pull apart and look down.

A brown haired little girl is looking up at them curiously, her mouth with brown chocolate stains in the corners.

"Hello!" Sarah Grace greets, waving her hands about crazily.

Kate can see Ryan and Jenny are by his desk, animatedly talking to some other uniformed officers, so she somewhat awkwardly picks up the small child and places her to her chest. Her husband feels his heart swell at the sight of his wife with a baby, but he doesn't voice that opinion.

Until he sees that she's showing the exact same expression as him. Before either of them can get a word in, Jenny scurries next to them, pulling a stand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"I'm so sorry!" The mother immediately blurts out, "She was fascinated with the tree the last time Kevin and I saw her. Which comes as no surprise, since she's been tugging at the lights on our tree for the past week, haven't you?"

Sarah Grace emits a giggle and attempts to hide her face in Kate's neck, knowing that she's guilty, making all the adults laugh.

"That's Aunt Kate, sweetie. Can you say that?" Jenny prompts, the girl's head lifting inquisitively, "Aunt Kate." Jenny repeats, in a slower tone, both Kate and Rick looking down at the girl expectantly.

She screws up her face as if she's concentrating, then her mouth opens, "Ka- Kay! Kay!"

They all laugh once more, Beckett experiencing a feeling of sudden rush of warmth at the baby's words.

"I'll take that. Good job, little one." Kate soothes, gently rubbing her fingers over Sarah Grace's curls to tame them, as Rick licks his thumb and swipes at the girl's mouth, attempting to remove the chocolate that stains her pale skin.

Jenny chuckles, "You two look natural with a baby." She comments honestly, making both of the newlywed's heads snap upwards with widened eyes, Kate looking a bit more caught off guard than her counterpart.

Suddenly, Ryan approaches the group, ushering his wife away with one hand splayed on her lower back, "Come on, honey, let's get some mulled wine, huh?"

Kate briefly hears Kevin chastising something along the lines of 'Didn't you learn from the Javi and Lanie incident?' and Jenny incessantly babbles an apology, but Beckett's too distracted by the baby in her arms and the man in front of her to care about that.

"She's right, you know." Castle speaks up, his eyes meandering back to Sarah Grace as she's clasping her fists around the lapel of Kate's blazer, "You look much more comfortable with babies now."

Kate only shrugs, suddenly feeling exposed, not knowing how to respond.

It doesn't seem that Rick is waiting for an answer though, his mouth keeps opening and closing repeatedly, as if he's gathering up the courage to say something. Kate is about to ask for the third time whether he's okay, but his voice is the first to sound.

"I could be a stay at home Dad now."

He exhales a large breath once the words are out, almost seeing the cogs turning in his wife's brain as she slowly understands his statement. Her eyes rake over him a couple of times, before turning to Gates, who looks as if she knows exactly what conversation is occurring, then she looks back to him.

Beckett's features stay neutral, making her lover squirm slightly under her glare.

"No."

The word is a mere whisper, but it brings a frown to Rick's face.

"Kate, there's nothing I can-"

"Remember the conversation in the dumpster?"

Castle halts abruptly to squint his eyes at her sudden change of topic, but she lets a small smile shine through as she explains.

"There's no way I'm going to let you take care of our baby on your own."

His whole body seems to buzz with happiness as she utters the words, a sincere, wholesome smile making its way onto his face, causing Beckett to unconsciously mirror his expression, her hands still delicately wrapped around Sarah Grace, who's fiddling with the bottom flicks of Kate's hair.

Castle seems to be rendered speechless, so he's more than happy when Kate continues her sentence.

"Unless it's this little munchkin," She teases, bringing the toddler closer to her chest, "Because I want Sarah Grace all to myself!"

Kate's nimble fingers begin to flutter over the baby's stomach, tickling her as she wriggles in the adult's arms, Castle laughing heartily at the two girls in front of him.

Sarah Grace emits a group of squeals between laughs, "No, no!" She giggles, "No, Kate!"

Beckett freezes, wondering if she heard correctly, Castle raising an eyebrow.

"What was that?" Kate asks the still giggling girl.

"Kay-Kate! Kate!"

A surprised gasp comes from Beckett's mouth, and her husband still remains silent.

"Bad?" Sarah Grace asks with worry, a small frown emerging.

"No!" Kate hurriedly contradicts, "Good. Very good, sweetie."

The three remain in silence for a few short moments, Kate in awe of what just occurred, as Rick takes in his wife's smile, cataloguing it in his mind, her look of wonder and joy as she strokes the baby's clasped hand.

* * *

Later that night, when they're sprawled out over their mattress with a substantial amount of clothes removed, Rick reluctantly releases his lips from her jawline to reach over to his nightstand, fumbling with the box of condoms. But before he can grab one, Kate's fingers encircle his wrist, and even in the darkness of their room, he can see the earnest look on her face as she shakes her head minutely.

He briefly wonders if he'll be buying maternity gifts for her by next Christmas, but that's a thought for another day.

* * *

**So I really overestimated how free I would be during the Christmas break.**

**Nonetheless, after two Christmas tree decorating sessions, one vet appointment, one afternoon working as an elf at a grotto, one last minute shopping spree and one sleepover, I've managed to upload a new chapter! Hurrah!**

**A Christmas joke to thank you for your patience with my awful posting schedule;**

**Q: Why does Santa go down the chimney on Christmas Eve?**

**A: Because it soots him.**

**Yep.**

**Lou xo**


	6. Chapter 6

**6 – Lights**

**Summary: AU – Rick takes his five year old daughter to see the Christmas lights at Central Park, but loses her in the sea of people. However, Officer Beckett is there to help.**

* * *

Rick laughed inwardly as his young daughter pulled him along the cobbled street with all her might, her consistent babbling under her breath as endearing as ever. He took in the appearance of the five year old, the LED reindeer antlers that they had bought from a stand earlier almost slipping from her pigtails with every bouncing step she took, her thick red coat completely encompassing her in warmth, one mitten covered hand clutching his, and the other her toy monkey.

"Come on, Daddy! Be quick! Need to be home before Santa!" She squealed happily, Castle now slightly regretting the decision to bring them to the walking tour on Christmas Eve, though he knew it added to the magic of the night.

He stopped suddenly, making Alexis look up at him with a curious look, "Well then, we'll be much quicker if you jump up onto my shoulders."

The girl's face lit up, her Dad knowing that she loved seeing the world from so high up, waving at all the people that passed her. Without a moment's hesitation, she lifted her small arms up towards Rick, who swiftly but cautiously placed her atop of his broad shoulders, keeping a tight grip on her ankles over her red, laced up boots, Alexis' laughs fuelling his energy as he scurried through the large crowd.

* * *

"Oh God, a guy with socks and sandals just walked past me. That's not okay. Ever."

Officer Kate Beckett attempted to stifle a laugh at the comment that came through the radio that was perched on her shoulder.

Another voice sounded, "It's Christmas, Espo. If people can allow those awful sweaters, than surely you can overlook _that._" Ryan's voice reasoned, but she could tell by the tone that he was smiling.

"Guys," Kate spoke up as her gloved hand pressed the button on the side of the device, "Hate to rain on your parade, but we are supposed to be looking for potential weapons or suspicious activity, not judging fashion choices."

Javier's voice crackled through the radio, "The only crime-worthy thing I've seen is the eggnog that's being sold. It looks like puke."

"Is it being sold by that bald, old guy wearing the black overalls? If so, I'm sure it'll be coming back up as puke too." Ryan shivered.

"Not a conversation I want to be having." Beckett deadpanned, scrunching her face up at the thought.

Suddenly, Beckett heard some exclaims of _'Hey! Watch it!'_ and _'Calm down!'_ and _'What the fuck, man?'_ chorusing from behind her. She whipped her head around to survey the scene, her eyes scanning the compacted crowd.

Her focus landed on a man, who couldn't have been much older than thirty, pushing people aside frantically, his gaze trained on the ground. Kate abandoned the conversation with the boys, who were now debating whether cranberry sauce at Christmas dinner was absolutely necessary or not, as she approached the man to chastise him for his behaviour. But once she walked closer, she noticed the panicked expression on the man's face, who looked like tears were going to spill over his cheeks at any moment.

She tapped his shoulder lightly, making him jolt upwards.

"Excuse me," She greeted, "Is everything alright?"

He exhaled a large breath, his hands shaking as he ran them through his hair, "Alexis." Kate's eyebrows scrunched in confusion, until he continued, "My daughter. She's five. She's gone. I lost her."

The quiver in the man's voice made her heart drop.

"Okay," She said feebly, "I'll get my team on it."

It seemed as if it was only at this moment that he registered the badge pinned to the jacket of her uniform, and he seemed to relax slightly, but was still tensed and frantically whipping his head around.

"Where did you last see her?" She questioned, trying to fumble with her notepad and pen with her gloved hands.

It took a while for him to recognise she had said something, but he soon replied, "By the carousel. She got on, and I waited on the side-lines for her, but when the ride stopped, a worker walked her and the other kids over to the other side, which must have been where the exit was." He relayed quickly, not stopping for breath as Beckett noted down his account, "By the time I had ran over to that side, she was gone."

Kate nodded as he finished his retelling, but he continued to ramble, "What if someone took her? They were just waiting by the exit, knowing that kids would get off there?" He shook his head quickly, "Oh God, I can't lose her. I can't."

The officer finally intervened, "And you won't. We'll find her."

He nodded mutely, but the look on his face didn't seem very convinced. Much like her own face didn't when the police in January of 1999 promised they were going to find her Mother's killer. She suddenly felt a rush of hurt and sadness, but still felt all the more compelled to help the desperate father that was standing in front of her.

"What does your daughter look like?" She prompted.

He answered without hesitation, "Ginger hair. It's up in pigtails. Blue eyes. She's in a red peacoat that has black buttons on it. She's wearing navy blue jeans and red boots. And brown mittens with cats on them. Oh, and I bought her some flashing reindeer ears from the stand by the entrance, so she might still have them on. She's forty-two inches tall, at least she was at her last check-up."

"I think I have enough information." She attempted to joke, but he only replied with a small 'sorry' making her instantly regret her statement, so she continued on, "You said her name was Alexis?"

He gave a nod, but he still looked absolutely terrified as his eyes continued to rake over the surroundings, his whole frame shaking, and she was sure it wasn't completely due to the cold evening weather.

"Hey," She said softly, drawing his attention back to her, "We'll find her, Mr. Castle."

He nodded once more as she began to speak into her radio, informing the other officers of the situation at hand.

* * *

After about fifteen minutes, Castle felt like he was going to throw up.

He heard a man's loud voice on the tannoy system informing the guests in the park about a five-year-old ginger girl and where to return her, but he knew it was a lost cause, the festive music and laughs and chatter infinitely louder.

Multiple police officers were now scattered around the grounds, some of them periodically checking in with Beckett, and even though he couldn't quite make out coherent words, he could understand the disheartened tone of voice that always came through.

He felt like the ground was turning into quicksand beneath him, like his throat was closing up rapidly. He couldn't help his mind whirring through all the possibilities; and only a minority of them ended happily. Rick tried to focus on the relief he would be overwhelmed with when he and Alexis were reunited, the face she would make when she opened her presents tomorrow, the Christmas movie marathon they would have in a fort of blankets and pillows, chocolates and popcorn in full supply.

But then, he threw himself to the other side of the spectrum. A Christmas without Alexis. A Christmas at the police station. A Christmas sorting out funeral details.

Before he could stop himself, a mix of a gasp and a sob erupted from his mouth, causing Officer Beckett to whip her head around, halting in front of him.

With one look, she could easily determine what the doting father was thinking of.

"Hey," She said as she approached him, placing a gentle hand on his forearm to make his eyes connect with hers, "We'll find her." She reiterated once more.

He scoffed, "Stop saying that!" Kate jerked backwards slightly at his raised voice, "Don't promise me anything. Don't give me hope." Her features softened as tears began to well up in his eyes, "Please."

"Okay," She replied meekly, "I won't promise anything about your daughter." Castle nodded, his lower lip still trembling, "But I can promise something about me." His eyebrows furrowed as she spoke, "I _promise_ that I will try my hardest to find her. I can promise that."

Rick gave a small smile, and though it was obviously forced, Kate appreciated the effort.

After a few seconds of silence, her voice piped up once more, "Come on, let's check around the food trucks again, maybe someone's spotted her."

He followed her through the masses of people, his eyes still focused on looking for a small flash of red hair.

* * *

After interrogating the fifth hot dog vendor, Kate sighed in despair, rubbing her hands together for warmth, though she knew the chill running through her veins was more do to the idea of a missing little girl, rather than the temperature.

She turned to walk back to Castle and inform him of the news, but by the look that donned his face, he already knew the outcome.

Suddenly, a few whimpers sounded from her right. She looked over, but multiple guests were clouding her vision as they walked around aimlessly in no particular pattern. She inhaled deeply, then began to run.

"NYPD!" She shouted, "Clear the way!"

The bodies obeyed her instantly, crashing into each other as they hurtled away from the officer. The crying seemed to be getting louder, but she still had no idea where it was coming from.

"Alexis?" Castle shouted from right behind her as he followed her path, "Alexis!?"

A small, weak voice rose from the garden to their left, "Daddy?"

"Alexis! Where are y-"

Kate gasped in relief as she saw the girl standing up on shaky legs as she emerged from behind the bushes, her mittens covered in dirt and her hair straggly from being caught in the brambles. In an instant, the father was on his knees in front of the child, wrapping his arms around her tiny frame as they both cried.

Alexis attempted to speak through wheezes, "I got of the ride and you weren't there so I walked around to where you were but you were gone and then I kept walking but there were so many big people that I didn't know what to do and I didn't know where to go so I just hid because I was scared and I didn't know where you were and-"

Rick hushed his daughter as he stroked her back soothingly, "It's okay, sweetheart. I'm here now. It's all okay."

Kate felt like she was intruding, so she retreated slowly from the two, mumbling into her radio that the girl was safe, the words filling her with a strong sense of comfort and ease.

She began to slowly return to her original position, until she felt a light tapping on her shins. Kate glanced down to find Alexis staring back up at her with a smile, which contradicted her pink, tear-stained cheeks.

"Thank you for finding me, Miss…" She began.

"Kate." She supplied, "I'm Kate."

The girl paused for a moment as if she was contemplating the name, then a larger grin took over her features, "Kate. Thank you a lot, Miss Kate."

Beckett extended a hand out to the girl, who gladly took it, "I'm glad you're safe, Alexis."

"Me too," She admitted, "I didn't want to miss out on my presents. Daddy's been keeping secrets about them for _ages!_"

A laugh bubbled up in Kate's throat at the girl's optimism, which in turn caused the girl to giggle too.

Suddenly, the father's voice boomed from behind her.

"You called me Mr Castle."

Beckett paused, a small questioning hum leaving her closed mouth.

"Before, when you were talking to me," Rick began to walk closer to Kate, his hand still clasping his daughter's tightly, "You said 'Mr. Castle' I never introduced myself."

The officer pursed her lips with a shrug, "I patrol the streets. Can't help seeing a book store display once in a while."

Castle smirked at the sight of her reddening cheeks, "Well, now that I know you're a _fan_," The word prompting an eye roll from Beckett, "How about you join us for some hot chocolate?"

Kate felt Alexis pull on their clasped hands as she silently jumped up and down a few times, but Castle's eyes stayed firmly on Beckett's as she contemplated an answer.

"I'm more of a coffee kind of girl..." She began to reject, but Rick was quick to intervene.

"Then how about a peppermint mocha?" He quipped, a twinkle in his eyes that almost rivalled the lights situated above him.

"Fine."

Both Castles looked at her with widened eyes at her acceptance, but didn't wait long enough for her to retract her answer as they calmly walked over to the café.

* * *

Kate felt warm for the rest of the evening. Warm because of the coffee that was placed between her slowly thawing fingers. Warm because of the heated interior of the café. Warm because of the pleasant conversations she was partaking in with a rambunctious father and his somehow calmer five-year-old. Warm because of him.

However, both the adults knew that the evening would soon be coming to a close, though neither of them wanted to speak up about leaving.

Luckily, the youngest of the three stepped in.

"Daddy, what does it mean when the little hand is on ten and the big hand is on six?" She asked, her eyes squinting at the wall clock that was rimmed with tinsel.

Rick smiled as he explained, "That's half past ten."

"Is that close to midnight?" The girl enquired.

"It's about an hour and a half away."

Alexis' eyes looked to the side, as if she was thinking profusely.

The father decided to help his daughter out with an easier measure of time, "About the length of a movie."

A loud gasp fell from the girl's lips, "We need to go home! Santa's coming soon!"

Kate chuckled good-naturedly at Alexis' comment as Rick exaggeratedly groaned.

"I'm _sure _Santa won't come until we're home." He reasoned as he attempted to convince the child, but she shook her head.

"Not just home. We both have to be asleep for Santa to come."

"Ah, yes, of course." He replied, throwing a wink in Kate's direction.

The Castles both stood up, Alexis wriggling her coat on hurriedly, almost knocking over the now empty mugs due to her tenacity.

"So…" Rick started, making Kate's stomach flutter with anticipation.

"Yes?" She prompted.

He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, before shaking his head minutely, Kate looking up at him from her side of the booth in confusion.

"Thanks. For everything."

Kate shrugged, "It was nothing."

"No, really, I can't thank you enough for helping me find her." He said earnestly, the two looking over at Alexis as she tried to put her mittens back on, her tongue poking out in concentration.

Kate inhaled deeply, pondering her next move. Rick's eyes never wavered from hers as he waited patiently. She bit her lip nervously under the intensity of his gaze.

Their silence was once again interrupted by Alexis.

"Come _on, _Daddy!" She groaned, thrusting his coat into his hand.

"I should… go." He finished, leaving the words unsaid as he placed enough money to pay the bill on the table top.

"Yeah." Kate agreed, trying not to feel remorse.

The Castles began to stroll over to the door, Beckett's gaze never leaving their backs as she shrunk back into the couch seat of the booth, her hands running through her hair in frustration.

* * *

Rick paced quickly to keep up with his over excited daughter, but he couldn't help but feel a small amount of melancholy as they exited the park. He shook his head as if that would shake off the feeling, but suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He paused to turn around (emitting a whine from Alexis) as he was once again met with the sight of the Officer.

"I was thinking," Kate began, wringing her hands together in a nervous motion, "Maybe we could meet again when you're not under a curfew?" She asked, a small smirk appearing.

Rick's smile increased tenfold as glanced down at the piece of paper she had handed to him, which had scrawled writing informing him of her name and phone number. He looked back at her silently until she started to squirm uncomfortably, making him realise he hadn't given a response.

"Yeah!" He answered with a bit too much enthusiasm, "I mean, yeah, I guess." He said with less gusto, trying to redeem himself, even though Kate was smiling at his antics.

"Alright then." She concluded with a curt nod as she tapped his hand that held her number, "Don't leave me hanging, Writer-boy."

"Wouldn't dare to do so, Officer." He answered back teasingly.

Beckett parted ways with the Castles once more, unconsciously twiddling her hair as she walked to her patrol car which was parked by the sidewalk.

However, she wasn't yet far away enough when she heard Alexis' voice ring through the night air, "I like Kate. You should make her your new girlfriend."

* * *

**Thanks so much for reading, reviewing, favouriting and following. You're all wonderful! Oh, and Merry Christmas Eve Eve!**

**A joke to get you in the holiday spirit;**

**Q: What do you get if you cross Santa with a duck?**

**A: A Christmas quacker!**

**(I know these jokes are getting worse, shhh. Embrace the awful.)**

**Lou xo**


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